Rugby League made significant steps in growth within the Association in 2023. This year, for the first time, Year 5B and Year 6B divisions were included into the season. This increase in team numbers, allowed the Association to expand the ‘Carnival Day’ format to include two venues each week – a Primary and Secondary School venue.
7 AIC schools competed in the annual Confraternity Rugby League carnival that was hosted by St Laurence’s in 2023. This was the second time an AIC school has hosted the carnival in the last three years. Iona hosted this carnival in 2021.
The inaugural AIC Hall of Fame inductees included a number of past students of the AIC who have gone on to stellar careers in Rugby League. Congratulations to Cooper Cronk (St Laurence’s), Dave Shillington (Padua), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Iona) and Christian Welch (Villanova).
First XIII Premierships
After the majority of First team’s preseasons included a very tough Confraternity Carnival, the First XIII premiership was always going to be close and exciting. At the end of the season, both Padua and Villanova were crowned AIC Premiers with Marist College Ashgrove, Iona and St Laurence’s finishing in equal third place.
Premierships
The standard of Rugby League within each premiership improves every year, with the competition incredibly close including 3 shared premierships. Congratulations to the following schools for claiming AIC Rugby League Premierships.
Iona- Year 10*, Year 9*, 8A
Marist College Ashgrove- 2nd XIII, Year 10*, Year 9*
Padua- 1st XIII
Villanova- 1st XIII
St Patrick’s- Year 7
Aggregate
This year, Iona claimed the Rugby League Aggregate with all Iona teams finishing in the top 3 of each premiership. Marist College Ashgrove finished second with Villanova College in third.
Acknowledgement
The growth of AIC Rugby League is in large part due to the support that the Association receives from the NRL. In 2023 the NRL again supported with coach development, match managers for all fixtures and the supply of referees. The Association looks forward to working with the NRL to further build the competition in 2024.
